How to prepare/cleanse yourself for ritual/interaction with the Divine?

[an anarchist]

How do you properly prepare/cleanse yourself before you do your religious rituals or interact with the divine?

The other day, I was going to do my fortune telling ritual for the first time in a long time. I physically washed myself via showering, but when the time for the ritual came, I felt filthy and unworthy and intimidated. My lack of knowledge needs to be addressed before I attempt the ritual again. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in my studies.

But what else is there to prepare to interact with the Divine? It is a matter of respect. I do not want to be disrespectful by haphazardly approaching, filthy like. But at the same time, I do not want to be overly cautious to the point where I prevent myself from interacting with the Divine.

What do you personally do?

 

[LuisDantas]

I don't. I don't use the idea of "the Divine". Too much baggage, too much of it at odds with too much of other parts of itself.

Mainly I try to understand what I perceive as sacred and worthy and work from there. Realizing what I perceive as virtuous and so on.


Edited to add: Sometimes I do speak of "The Sacred", a name that I chose and that I prefer because it makes it clearer that I am the proponent of the values instead of a passive receiver.

But often I don't even like to use that name. Apparently my practice does not much agree with names for that role, precisely because that would deemphasize my personal responsibility.

I suspect that such an approach would be unpalatable for many people, particularly sincere theists and monotheists above all. I further suspect that it would be unpleasant because it denies them the ability to find a serenity of sorts from trusting an external reference.

It is true that my approach leads me to times of anguish and uncertainty. It just doesn't seem to be worth the trouble of avoiding those times. All in all, dealing with those feelings up front seems to agree with me far more than any attempts at avoidance by way of god-beliefs would.

 

[Quintessence]

There may be better question to ask: why do I think I am filthy? There may be some healing you need to do there.

Different religions will teach different things about the nature of humans. In my tradition humans are not seen as filthy or in needing of cleansing before approaching the gods. I am already clean. Humans are sacred and worthy in their own respect, they are not tainted or sinful or icky as is taught in some religions. So I don't do any sort of ritual cleansing before rituals, as a general rule. The exception is when I am doing a ritual that is specifically about cleansing, which I will often do around MidWinter as that's the sacred time for those kinds of rituals in my practice.

Instead my preparations are about getting in the right mindset. How I do this varies in terms of involvement. I have standard ritual openings and closings I tend to use when I'm feeling more formal. But at minimum I tend to do:

• Focusing. The most basic form of focusing is taking three long, deep breaths and relaxing. If I am in the altar room I will ring the singing bowl and light up some incense or a candle. I may intone a sacred word three times. Close my eyes. Other times if I am out and about I may do energy work to pull up the Earth Current and pull down the Sky Current, three times.
• Welcoming. Acknowledge and welcome in the Sacred Four. Then acknowledge and welcome any relevant gods who should be honored for the particular ritual or working. Usually involves words, gestures, dance or movement as needed or desired.

 

[Eddi]

How do you properly prepare/cleanse yourself before you do your religious rituals or interact with the divine?

The other day, I was going to do my fortune telling ritual for the first time in a long time. I physically washed myself via showering, but when the time for the ritual came, I felt filthy and unworthy and intimidated. My lack of knowledge needs to be addressed before I attempt the ritual again. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in my studies.

But what else is there to prepare to interact with the Divine? It is a matter of respect. I do not want to be disrespectful by haphazardly approaching, filthy like. But at the same time, I do not want to be overly cautious to the point where I prevent myself from interacting with the Divine.

What do you personally do?

Personally I don't do anything

I'm a Pantheist

So to me everything is God and God is everything

Including filth, grime, and muck!

So why bother cleaning, unless perhaps you want to do an act of submission?

"I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!"

I don't do that

Not my style

 

[JustGeorge]

There may be better question to ask: why do I think I am filthy? There may be some healing you need to do there.

Different religions will teach different things about the nature of humans. In my tradition humans are not seen as filthy or in needing of cleansing before approaching the gods. I am already clean. Humans are sacred and worthy in their own respect, they are not tainted or sinful or icky as is taught in some religions. So I don't do any sort of ritual cleansing before rituals, as a general rule. The exception is when I am doing a ritual that is specifically about cleansing, which I will often do around MidWinter as that's the sacred time for those kinds of rituals in my practice.

Instead my preparations are about getting in the right mindset. How I do this varies in terms of involvement. I have standard ritual openings and closings I tend to use when I'm feeling more formal. But at minimum I tend to do:

• Focusing. The most basic form of focusing is taking three long, deep breaths and relaxing. If I am in the altar room I will ring the singing bowl and light up some incense or a candle. I may intone a sacred word three times. Close my eyes. Other times if I am out and about I may do energy work to pull up the Earth Current and pull down the Sky Current, three times.
• Welcoming. Acknowledge and welcome in the Sacred Four. Then acknowledge and welcome any relevant gods who should be honored for the particular ritual or working. Usually involves words, gestures, dance or movement as needed or desired.

Sometimes I'm actually filthy. In a literal sense.

If that's the case, if there's a formal event, I prefer to clean up. If I'm too dirty to go into a store, I'm too dirty to do a formal worship(for lack of a better term) act.

Informal is different, though. I don't feel any obligation there.

 

[mangalavara]

What do you personally do?

I take a shower before doing ritualistic worship.

At the very beginning of ritualistic worship, I sprinkle consecrated water over my head thrice. Once for a clean mind, once for a clean voice, and once for a clean body. This is a practice in Śaivite Hinduism.

 

[Quintessence]

Sometimes I'm actually filthy. In a literal sense.

If that's the case, if there's a formal event, I prefer to clean up. If I'm too dirty to go into a store, I'm too dirty to do a formal worship(for lack of a better term) act.

Haha, yes, indeed. Back when I was still doing field work there were days I'd come home caked in dirt and pollen. Then it's just uncomfortable, so it is honoring myself to make myself not uncomfortable with a cold shower.

 

[The Hammer]

Haha, yes, indeed. Back when I was still doing field work there were days I'd come home caked in dirt and pollen. Then it's just uncomfortable, so it is honoring myself to make myself not uncomfortable with a cold shower.

Cold shower‽

*Shudders*

 

[The Hammer]

How do you properly prepare/cleanse yourself before you do your religious rituals or interact with the divine?

The other day, I was going to do my fortune telling ritual for the first time in a long time. I physically washed myself via showering, but when the time for the ritual came, I felt filthy and unworthy and intimidated. My lack of knowledge needs to be addressed before I attempt the ritual again. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in my studies.

But what else is there to prepare to interact with the Divine? It is a matter of respect. I do not want to be disrespectful by haphazardly approaching, filthy like. But at the same time, I do not want to be overly cautious to the point where I prevent myself from interacting with the Divine.

What do you personally do?

If I'm just doing a divination reading for myself or some other small working, nothing much typically.

But if I am visiting some places I consider sacred, or I am doing a more formal large ritual (like for holidays), then I at a minimum take a shower, and brush my teeth. Clean hands for working, clean mouth for speech.

 

[Quintessence]

Cold shower‽

*Shudders*

When you've been out in the field all day with no shade and stagnant wind in hot weather and high humidity?

Yes.

 

[an anarchist]

When you've been out in the field all day with no shade and stagnant wind in hot weather and high humidity?

Yes.

The worst is when it’s too hot outside that there is no cold water ;-;

 

[The Hammer]

When you've been out in the field all day with no shade and stagnant wind in hot weather and high humidity?

Yes.

That's fair, but even then I'd still take a luke warm/tepid shower. Cold showers and I'm freezing the rest of the day.

 

[Vinayaka]

How do you properly prepare/cleanse yourself before you do your religious rituals or interact with the divine?

The other day, I was going to do my fortune telling ritual for the first time in a long time. I physically washed myself via showering, but when the time for the ritual came, I felt filthy and unworthy and intimidated. My lack of knowledge needs to be addressed before I attempt the ritual again. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in my studies.

But what else is there to prepare to interact with the Divine? It is a matter of respect. I do not want to be disrespectful by haphazardly approaching, filthy like. But at the same time, I do not want to be overly cautious to the point where I prevent myself from interacting with the Divine.

What do you personally do?

It's an important part of my daily ritual. I shower, brush teeth, and then after preparation, do alternating nostril breathing 3 times, and the first step in the actual ritual is water sipping. This space is considered sacred space within the house, so part of that is keep the sanctity of that space.

Well trained Hindu priests may take up to half an hour in ritual purification before larger ceremonies. At much larger pujas like kumbabhishekams, the priest will all do the purification rituals simultaneously, and for very special times, a group of priests will use rituals to purify one particular priest, like the one who is carrying the main ritual water. It's fascinating to watch.

 

[ChatwithGod]

How do you properly prepare/cleanse yourself before you do your religious rituals or interact with the divine?

The other day, I was going to do my fortune telling ritual for the first time in a long time. I physically washed myself via showering, but when the time for the ritual came, I felt filthy and unworthy and intimidated. My lack of knowledge needs to be addressed before I attempt the ritual again. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in my studies.

But what else is there to prepare to interact with the Divine? It is a matter of respect. I do not want to be disrespectful by haphazardly approaching, filthy like. But at the same time, I do not want to be overly cautious to the point where I prevent myself from interacting with the Divine.

What do you personally do?

To prepare, start with a heartfelt prayer asking for purity of mind and spirit. Psalm 51:10 teaches, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." We like starting with daily prayer or meditation. These moments can connect you deeply with God, offering peace and guidance.